When Paul wrote (or dictated)
letters, he had no idea that he was writing “the Bible” and he did not have any
grand vision of himself as an elite writer worthy to be read by posterity. In
fact, Paul didn’t think there would be any posterity. The “impending
disaster” and Jesus’ second coming were just around the corner. (1 Cor 7:27; 1
Thess 4:15) The historical Paul never had a plan—or the leisure—to “retire” and
spend his old age polishing and publishing his letters. Even the canonical Paul
is presented as imprisoned at the end of his life. (M. David Litwa, The
Orthodox Corruption of Paul: An Argument for the Priority of the Marcionite Apostolis
[Melbourne, Australia: Gnosis, 2026], 16)
